Vice President George H.W. Bush and Governor Michael Dukakis (D-MA) met at the University of California, Los Angeles, for the second of two debates prior to the 1988 presidential election. It was best-remembered for the first question, about the death penalty, asked by moderator Bernard Shaw. Other panelists were Margaret Warner, Andrea Mitchell, and Ann Compton. Each candidate was questioned in turn with two minutes to respond and a one-minute rebuttal. The panelists were allowed to ask follow-up questions. Each candidate had two minutes for a closing statement.

Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates